Just How Dry Was It?
July 2026 was exceptionally dry for Bengaluru, which recorded just 23 mm of rainfall for the entire month. This figure is dramatically lower than the typical average of 80 mm to 100 mm for July, making it the second-driest July in the city in the last
108 years. The only July that was drier was back in 1918, when only 18.5 mm of rain was recorded. This significant lack of rain came after a promising start to the season thanks to strong pre-monsoon showers, but the weak performance in July has left a considerable deficit.
The National Monsoon Story
Contrast Bengaluru’s situation with the national picture, and the disparity becomes clear. While the monsoon across India had its own fluctuations, with some regions experiencing floods and others dry spells, the overall situation was not as dire as in Bengaluru. In fact, other parts of Karnataka, particularly the coastal and Malnad regions, received widespread and even heavy rainfall during the same period, triggered by an offshore trough along the west coast. This weather system, however, had a much weaker influence on south-interior Karnataka, including Bengaluru, resulting in only very light and brief spells toward the end of the month.
A Tale of Two Monsoons
So, why the major difference? Bengaluru’s geography plays a crucial role. The city is located in the rain-shadow region of the Western Ghats. The powerful, moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea that drench coastal Karnataka are blocked by the Ghats. As the winds cross over the hills, they lose much of their moisture, leaving less for inland areas like Bengaluru. The city's rainfall is often more dependent on localised, convectional rainfall and weather systems forming in the Bay of Bengal, which were not favourable for the city this July. Strong winds blew across the region, but they lacked the necessary moisture to produce significant rain over the city.
What It Means for Water Supply
For residents, the most pressing concern is water availability. Bengaluru relies heavily on the Cauvery river, with its water stored in reservoirs like the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS). While rains in the Cauvery catchment areas in the Malnad region did improve reservoir levels to a degree, the situation remains precarious compared to previous years. As of late July, storage in the Cauvery basin reservoirs was significantly lower than at the same time last year. Officials at the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have noted that while there are reserves for a few months, a prolonged dry spell could lead to a drinking water crisis. This underscores how a single dry month in a critical period can have serious consequences, regardless of the 'national monsoon' performance.
